Sweeping report calls for overhaul of the Denver Sheriff Dept.

<p>(Courtesy Denver Sheriff's Department)</p>
<p>Inmates in the custody of a Denver deputy.</p>

A long-awaited independent report on the troubled Denver Sheriff Department released Thursday calls for a complete overhaul of the department's culture. Mayor Michael Hancock said the report will serve as a "reform roadmap" for the department, which administers the Denver jail.

The team of independent assessors discovered 14 key findings and offered more than 270 recommendations to fix the department. They range from changing department leadership to improving deputy training to boosting staffing.

“I stand ready, and we all stand ready to participate in the implementation process and commit to do whatever is necessary to move the department to being the best in the nation,” said Interim Sheriff Elias Diggins.

"We have made initial, necessary changes to create a better Sheriff Department, now we turn to developing a long-term implementation plan and finding a strong leader who will take helm,” Hancock said in a press release.

Interim Sheriff Elias Diggins took over the department after his predecessor stepped down last summer. The city has paid more than $10 million in legal settlements and court costs related to excessive force cases since 2012.

The report, executed by a Chicago-based consulting firm, recommends new outside leadership, deputy training and even new underwear for inmates.

CPR's Nathan Heffel contributed to this report.